


He's my partner

by loulougoingsolo



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fake Marriage, M/M, Misunderstandings, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 19:56:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10646961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loulougoingsolo/pseuds/loulougoingsolo
Summary: Rhett and Link are accidentally mistaken for a married couple on a vacation.This is my submission for the Tropetastic Tuesday #6 on the tumblr fandom, organized by TheGreyHenley. Our trope for this week was "Pretending to be a couple / fake married. Up to 3,000 words."This turned out fluffier than I ever imagined possible. Enjoy!





	He's my partner

“Ready, bo?”

* * *

They had planned on taking this work vacation for ages. One week away from families, away from their daily routines and away from Los Angeles, to finally create the first draft for their second season of Buddy System. They wanted to fully concentrate on writing and brainstorming, and they wanted to do it at a peaceful location, where they could also relax without being constantly recognized by fans.

It had been Link’s idea to choose Pacific Grove. It was a five-hour drive away from LA, but it was everything they needed after all the stress at work. The beaches were perfect for paddle boarding, and the scenes appeared to be amazing. Rhett had gladly let Link take care of all the arrangements for their trip in exchange for getting to drive all the way – Link had the tendency to speed and lose his temper on the road, and Rhett felt more comfortable when his friend was seated on the passenger side.

Link fastened his seat belt and set the navigation on his phone to take them to their hotel. He had booked a suite at a beautiful 19th century inn near the beach – he knew Rhett would appreciate the historical settings. When he had called the inn to make the reservation, the friendly receptionist had told him that the suite only had one king size bed, but it also had the desk they needed, and a living room for extra comfort. They’d shared a bed before, so that was hardly too big of an issue. “Man, I can’t wait to get there!”

* * *

Six hours, three pee breaks and two snack breaks later, Rhett parked their car in front of a gorgeous Victorian building. When they stepped out of the car, he immediately noticed the scent of salty water in the gentle breeze blowing from the near-by ocean. The air was warm in a pleasant way, and the sun was shining through a thin layer of haze. Rhett looked at the beautiful structure in front of him, and saw a small, lovely garden behind the inn. Dozens of butterflies were flying all over. He’d arrived in a paradise. “Link, you did good. This place is amazing!”

Link was pleased with himself. He had wanted to give Rhett a pleasant surprise, and by the looks of it, he had succeeded. He watched his buddy walk around the house to see the garden, and he couldn’t help but smile. Rhett was already mesmerized by the beauty of this place, and they’d only arrived five minutes ago. “Rhett, don’t get lost out there! I’m gonna go and check us in!”

* * *

“Hello! I have a reservation for Neal, Charles.”

An elderly lady sitting behind the reception counter raised her eyes from a romantic novel she had been reading. When she saw Link, she instantly welcomed him with a sunny warm smile. “Of course, Mr. Neal! Welcome to the Monarch Inn. I’m Rose, my husband and I own this place. Our best suite is all ready for you and your wife.”

“Um, there seems to be a misunderstanding, I’m with my partner, Rhett…He went to see the garden.” Link didn’t want to reveal too much about them, in order to maintain their privacy, but he was certain this  adorable lady wouldn’t post pictures of them on Twitter. But you never knew these days…

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed anything. Well, you and your partner are most welcome. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful honeymoon here. It’s the perfect time to see the butterflies, and I couldn’t help but notice the surf boards on top of your car.” Link looked at the kind lady whose eyes were sparkling with acceptance and delight over her new guests. He didn’t want to make her feel awkward by correcting her for a second time, so instead he just gave her a friendly smile and took the key to their honeymoon suite. He could always explain this to Rhett later.

* * *

Rhett lowered his luggage on the soft mauve-colored carpet in their luxurious suite. Link followed him inside and closed the door behind him. “So, what do you think so far? Pretty amazing, huh?”

“I’m not sure about the colour-scheme, but other than that, I’m impressed. The garden was amazing, there were butterflies everywhere!” Link was delighted to hear how enthusiastic Rhett was about the place. Rhett had been so stressed out recently, and Link just wanted to do everything in his power to help him relax, and so far, things seemed to be working. Rhett was looking much happier than he had in days. They both needed this little break to get their creative juices flowing.

While Link was praising himself for making the right choices regarding their vacation, Rhett walked across the room to see the rest of the suite. He opened the bedroom door, but instead of stepping in, he stopped and looked at Link. “Okay, buddy, did you by any chance forget to tell me something? Why is there only one bed in this suite? And why are there rose petals scattered all over the bed?” Link gave Rhett the most innocent smile he could master, but he couldn’t stop his face from turning to a shade of deep red only overpowered by the colour of the rose petals.

* * *

“So, the nice lady I saw at the lobby thinks we are a couple? And that we are on our honeymoon? Link, we were supposed to keep a low profile – I’m not sure if this is what we intended.” Link felt disappointed. To him the thought of acting as a married couple was actually quite intriguing. He loved Rhett from the bottom of his heart, and he was pretty sure that Rhett felt the same way about him, although they had never really acted on it. Most people referred to them as a married couple all the time, and Link didn’t really see any harm in pretending to be one for a few days.

“I’m sorry. I should have corrected her, but she was being so nice, and I really didn’t want to hurt her feelings. No-one knows us here, why not just fake it for a few days? Have some fun?” Link looked so cute, with his blue eyes pointed at Rhett, begging for forgiveness. It wasn’t the first time Rhett had tried to act all strict with Link, but he always gave in. How could he have resisted his friend, when he looked at him like this? “Alright, fine. Let’s make the old lady happy. But you’re the one who’s sleeping on the couch tonight.” Link fluttered his eyelashes at Rhett like only he could. “Let’s talk about that over dinner, honey.”

* * *

 

When they arrived at the dining room downstairs, there were only few other guests, mostly couples, seated around the intimate space. Candles burning on each table gave the area a warm, inviting feel. A faint aroma of food wafted through the air, arousing their appetite. Before they had a chance to approach the waiter, Rose showed up from the kitchen.

“Ah, our lovely newly-weds! Please, follow me to your table!”

Rhett looked a little overwhelmed by Rose at first, but when she introduced herself to him with a warm, perfumed embrace and a heartfelt welcome, he understood why Link had chosen to let her assume they were on their honeymoon.

“You boys must be starving by now, after such a long day! Our waiter will be with you shortly, and I’ll leave you lovebirds enjoy your meal.” She gave Rhett a sneaky wink accompanied by a wide smile, and disappeared back into the kitchen as soon as she had arrived. A moment later, the waiter brought them a bottle of chilled champagne. “Excuse me, but we didn’t order this.” The waiter popped the cork and poured the sparkling drink to two glasses. “Don’t worry, this is just a little something to celebrate your marriage!”  

* * *

 

It was a wonderful meal, and the champagne made them both feel relaxed. It was easy to find things to talk about, but in between talking about their plans for Buddy system, about their vacation and about the food, there were also these pleasant moments of silence, when they just spent a while looking at each other fondly, smiling at a shared memory. It was so easy for them to feel completely comfortable in each other’s company, and to get lost in each other’s eyes.

At some point, the waiter served them a slice of chocolate cake with whipped cream and two spoons. It didn’t even occur to either of them that they were sharing the dessert as it felt perfectly normal to share everything. It was a perfect ending to a perfect romantic dinner. To Rhett, it also felt like the most normal thing in the world to reach out over the table and close Link’s hand in his own. And it was so easy for him to say these words to the man he loved more than anyone else in the world: “You don’t have to sleep on the couch. This is the first night of our honeymoon, and I want to spend it with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yup, this was just pure fluff. Just thinking about what I wrote makes me see pink cotton candy clouds and rainbows. I needed to feel soft and fluffy, and get some comfort, and that's pretty much what this story is all about. What happened after the romantic dinner is material for another story at another time.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. Please, leave a comment or constructive feedback. I love you guys, you're the motor to my paddleboard! <3 <3 <3


End file.
